At WPUK, we believe in abortion law reform. Take action!

Allowing women and girl’s bodies to be subject to outdated laws places unnecessary & harmful barriers to accessing safe, timely healthcare.

Currently, in 2023, there are two women facing up to life imprisonment for ending their own pregnancies. Under sections 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 (and common law equivalent in Scotland), any woman in Great Britain who ends a pregnancy at any gestation, without the approval of two doctors, faces up to life imprisonment. Other criminal offences, including concealment of birth, are used to criminalise women who experience crisis pregnancies. Given the recent increase in the numbers of women facing criminal investigation under these offences, Parliament must reform this archaic legislation which threatens some of the most vulnerable women in our society.

Dr Emma Milne  Associate Professor in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Durham

At Woman’s Place UK we believe in abortion law reform and support BPAS and Dr Emma Milne’s campaign to:

1] Reform The Offences Against the Person Act 1861:
Repeal sections 58 & 59 to remove abortion from criminal law.
Repeal section 60 to remove the offence of concealment of birth.

2] Reform the Abortion Act 1967 to decriminalise women who seek to end their own pregnancies. 

 

TAKE ACTION

Email your MP

Use the BPAS template email to contact your MP. Ask them to support abortion law reform and the BPAS position statement.

BPAS have joined with over 30 leading women’s rights organisations like the Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologists, The Royal College of Midwives, The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rape Crisis England & Wales to create a position statement calling on the government to reform the Abortion Act 1967 to decriminalise women seeking to end their own pregnancies.

Register with Dr Emma Milne’s campaign page

Sign up as a supporter Emma will keep you up-to-date with her campaigns and let you know ways you can make your voice heard.

Register with BPAS for campaign updates

Sign up to BPAS campaign, abortion should not be a crime #TimeToAct

 

RESOURCES

On the 15th of June, following the recent imprisonment of a woman experiencing a #CrisisPregnancy, MP Diane Johnson tabled an emergency question to Parliament asking for action on abortion law reform. Please watch and share her contribution and the following debate:

MP Diana Johnson's emergency question to Parliament today

'We must look at this antiquated legislation & make it fit for the 21st century. Women in NI have already been removed from the criminal justice system, with a moratorium on abortion prosecutions'#TimeToAct… pic.twitter.com/pad9UNfFAZ

— Woman’s Place UK (@Womans_Place_UK) June 15, 2023

Watch our recent webinar with WPUK Director Shonagh Dillon and Dr Emma Milne. An informative discussion on the impact of these archaic laws on the lives of women and girls. Learn more about crisis pregnancy, foetal protectionism and how we can defend a woman’s right to choose.

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Further reading

Foetal Protection Laws: A Dangerous Future for British Women  I  BPAS Abortion Law  I   BPAS Ten reasons to decriminalise abortion  I  The Guardian The Case For Decriminalisation  I  Abortion, Criminal Law & Crisis Pregnancies Dr Shonagh Dillon  I  Women in Prison: a guest blog by Prof Jo Phoenix  I  The Guardian Google earned $10m from ads misdirecting abortion seekers to ‘pregnancy crisis centers’  I  WPUK: Advice to US Women to Compromise on Abortion Rights Misses the Mark: Katherine M Acosta  I  WPUK: Roe V Wade must stand

#WPUKReproductiveRights #HelpNotHarm #CrisisPregnancy #AbortionIsHealthCare #ReproductiveRightsAreWomensRights #AbortionIsHealthcare

 

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